Introduction:Trichophyton soudanense, Trichophyton violaceum, and Trichophyton tonsurans
are considered rare pathogens in Germany. They are presumed to infect people from
Germany when they are traveling to tropical and subtropical areas. The incidence and
the mode of infection with these three fungal pathogens in Munich were investigated
to assess their significance for clinical practice. Methods: This monocentric study
was conducted at a large European academic dermatology department in Munich from January
1, 2011, till August 30, 2020. We performed a retrospective analysis of medical data
of all out- and inpatients presenting at our hospital with a suspected cutaneous fungal
infection. Results: A total of 87,229 swabs were collected from 48,916 patients; 11,513
(13.2%) cultures confirmed a fungal infection. One of the three aforementioned dermatophytes
was detected in 247 (2.1%) samples. The average patient age was 15.5 years (0-84 years,
SD: 15.6) at the time of infection. T. tonsurans was the confirmed pathogen in 137
(55.5%) samples with increasing frequency over time. T. tonsurans spread in 11 cases
through close contact with humans (kindergarten, martial arts, accommodation for asylum
seekers). T. violaceum was detected in 88 (35.6%) samples with a peak in 2016 and
2017. T. soudanense was detected in 22 (8.9%) samples. A total of 46.7% of all tinea
capitis cases were caused by one of these pathogens. Conclusion: In case of tinea
capitis, a travel history should be performed and rare fungal infections should be
considered in the differential diagnosis.
